Ohio Supreme Court to hear appeal in case of Ottawa Hills police shooting

5/22/2013

COLUMBUS -- In a unanimous decision today, the Ohio Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal in the case of a former Ottawa Hills police officer whose conviction for shooting a motorcyclist was overturned earlier this year.

The high court said it will review a Jan. 11 decision by the Ohio 6th District Court of Appeals to reverse the conviction of Thomas White, 30, for felonious assault with a gun specification for the May, 2009, shooting of Michael McCloskey.

White was seen on video from his patrol’s car dashboard camera shooting Mr. McCloskey after pulling him over for an alleged traffic violation. Mr. McCloskey was paralyzed from the waist down.

While a jury found White guilty after a week-long trial in Lucas County Common Pleas Court, the appeals court ordered a new trial saying the jury was not given proper instructions of law and so did not have proper information before deliberations. The appeals court also dismissed the gun specification, which carries a mandatory three-year prison sentence.